Closures and seals for cartons



March 20, 1956 T. B. R. PETERS 23382916 CLOSURES AND SEALS FOR CARTONSFiled Aug. 17, 195s In HU I New m IN VEN TOR.

BQWMW United States Patent() CLosUREs AND SEALS FOR CARToNs Thomas B. R.Peters, Boulder, Colo. Application August 17, 195s, serial m1374351 sclaims. (ci. 229-7) This invention relates to improvements in closuresand seals for cartons and has reference in greater particular to sealsthat can be readily opened and which can also be used for resealing thecarton.

Today there are a large number of articles that are dispensed in sealedpackages some of which are made from paper and others from metal orplastic.

The articles most frequently dispensed in paper cartons are sugar, rice,breakfast cereals, soap powder, corn meal, salt, etc. All of thematerials mentioned are dry when sold and are iiowable to the extentthatv they can be dispensed through a pour hole.

It is quite common to provide paper cartons with por tions of the topand/or sides with areas, bounded vby weakened tear or score lines, thatcan be broken away by the lingers or by the help of a knife, a fork or aspoon. Other cartons merely contain direction for cutting or tearing thematerial where a pour opening is desired.

The openings formed by tearing the material are ragged and gives theopened carton an appearance unpleasant to look at but serves the purposeof dispensing the material. After such pour openings are formed theycannot be resealed and the contents, unless removed at once, are open tocontamination by dust and insects and if the contents are deliqueseentthey will absorb moisture from the air which is harmful to some suchproducts.

It is the principal object of this invention to produce a seal that canbe readily opened and as readily resealed.

Another object is to provide a seal that can be applied by the boxmaking machine at the time the box is made thereby adding very little tothe cost of the carton. The above and other objects that may becomeapparent as the description proceeds are attained by means of aconstruetion and an arrangement of parts that will now be de scribed indetail for which purpose reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawings in which the invention has been illustrated and in which:

Figure l is a partial perspective view showing the top portion of acarton provided with the seal that forms the subject of this inventionthe seal being shown in open position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to that shown in Figure l and shows the sealin closed position;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section like that shown in Figure 3 and shows the parts toan enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2, with the topclosure tab of the carton in sealed relation to the carton and shows bybroken lines the seal in open position;

Figure 6 is a section showing the seal provided with a pouring spout andFigure 7 shows the manner in which the seals are prepared forapplication to the carton by the box forming machine.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates a papercarton, usually of oblong rectangular cross section, and 11 the innerclosure tabs of the top to rice which the outer closure tab 13 isattached by glue of the usual kind employed in box making. The closuretabs 11 are provided with a pour hole 12 and the two parts 11 areadhesively attached to the top closure tab 13 as in the usual cartonconstruction.

The present invention relates to the seal and closure positioned betweentabs 11 and 13 and will now be described.

The sealing device consists of a fabric tape 14 that has its undersurface gummed, the fabric being exposed on the other or upper side.V v

Such fabric tapes, gummed on' one side, are usually marketed under thename bookbinders tape. The fabric tape is provided with a perforationthat is the same size and shape as opening 12. Openings 12 and 15 havebeen shown as rectangular but may be round or any other shape. Attachedto the fabric side of tape 14 is a sealing tape 16 which has its undersurface covered with a nondrying adhesive 17. (Such tape is usually soldunder the name of masking tape.) Tape 16 has one end attached to thefabric side of tape 14 by staples 18 which prevent its removal. A sheetof paper, plastic or metal foil 19 of substantially the same size andshape as openings 12 and 15 isattached to the under side of tape 16 in aposition to cover opening 15 and may be individual pieces or formed inlong strips as indicated in Figure 7, whichever is found to be the mostdesirable. When tape 16 is pressed down onto the fabric surface of tapeit will adhere thereto forming an air tight seal entirely around hole 15and paper 19. If parts 19 are so made that they form a long strip asshown in Figure 7 the part 20 will not form a seal with the uppersurface of tape 14. Where dry food products are packaged in this way ahermetic seal is not an essential. After tape .16 has been pressed .downinto the positionshown inv Figures 2, 3 and 4 `the 'top closure tab 13is pressed down onto end tabs 11 and tape 16. Since the under side oftab 13 is covered with a moist glue before it is pressed down it willform a protective cover over the seal and the carton top. In the drawingthe thickness of the parts has been exaggerated so as to facilitate thedrawing. Tapes 14 and 16 are quite thin, however. That part of tab 13directly over the seal is perforated or scored along lines 21 andtherefore when tape 16 is grasped by its doubled end 22 and pulledupwardly, as in Figure 5, cover tab 13 will tear along score lines 21and will remain attached to the upper surface of tape 16. After thedesired quantity of material has been dispersed the seal is returnedfrom the dotted line position shown in Figure 5 to the full lineposition.

At this point the importance of the fabric tape willbe explained. lftape 16 were attached directly to the upper surface of tabs 11 it would,when pressed down upon them, adhere and form a good seal about opening12. Such a construction is shown in applicants copending applicationSerial Number 362,635 which was iiled on June 18, 1953, now abandoned.

The paper employed in food package cartons is a poor grade of softcardboard and is easily torn. It was found that when the seal was brokenin a construction in which the tacky non-drying adhesive of tape 16 wasin firm engagement with the outer surface of carton tabs 11, theadhesive would tear loose and carry with it a considerable amount ofpaper liber and this made it impossible to effectively reseal thepackage after the seal had once been broken. To remedy this diiicultythe expedient of first adhesively attaching a piece of gummed fabrictape to the box top; providing the tape with a hole that reg-` isterswith the pour hole in the box top and then attaching the sealing tape 16to the gummed tape, as shown in the drawing, was tried. It was foundthat the adhesive on tape 16 would break away from the fabric tape cleanand thatl the opening could therefore be resealed a large number oftimes.

If tape 16 was closed with the adhesive exposed in opening V12 some ofthe c onterit's of the box would adhere to'the t'apew'hi`ch` isobjectionable' andthat' portion ofthe adhesive' 17 directly over thepour hole was therefore covered with apiece of paper 19`.

A seal made in the rri'ahnr described forms an air tight sealthat can beeasil') opened and Awhich can be returned to sealing positionvandaga'iii seal the opening. By scoring that portion of tab I3 directlyabove the seal the box, when resealed, will have a neat appearance.

Figure 7 `shows how the seals can be made in the form of a'log stripwhich is adaptedfo be`app1ied'to theV carton by a suitable attachmentthat meistens the gr'nrned surface, cuts the strip aloii'g lines 4c andpositions it on tabs 11.

In Figure 6 a modification has been shown in which the non-adhesive part19 has been replaced by a metal spout like shown in the copendingapplication above identified.

Applicant calls particular attention to Figure 5 which shows a slightlymodified form in which the sealing tape 16 is gluedV to the undersurface of closure tab 13 and may in addition be attached thereto bystaples 18 as shown although that is not essential. That portion of tab13, between the serve lines 21, designated by Y, when raised to thedotted line position shown carries with it the sealing tape 16 andserves as a seal and resealing means. Tab 13 does not have to be tornoff as suggested with the construction shown in Figures l and" 2.

Cartons provided with the seal and closure above described can bereadily resealed and will exclude dust and ants or other insects; theywill not spill the contents if upset and can be carried and handled withno danger of spilling the contents.

What I claim as new is:

1. A closure and seal for cartons containing a dry owable product andprovided with a pour hole, said seal comprising a piece of perforatedfabric tape of greater length and widththan the pour hole,` having onesurface gummed for effecting an attachment to the outer surface ofcarton in position to register the perforation therein with the pourhole, an elongated tape of greater width than the perforation in thefabric tape, having one end attached to the latter on one side of theperforation, said tape having a length sufcent to extend across andbcyond said perforation so as to encompass said perforation, the surfaceof said last named tape facingA the fabric tape having a coating ofpressure sensitive adhesive which when pressed against the fabric tapeforms a sealed zone surrounding the pour hole on all sides.

2. A closure and seal for cartons in accordance with claim l in whichthat portion of the adhesive covered surface of the second mentionedtape which is directly over the pour hole and the fabric tapeperforations, is provided with a covering presenting a non-adhesivesurface to the interior of the bag.

3. A resealable carton in accordance with claim 2 in which the saidsecond mentioned tape extends beyond the lower edge of the fabric tapeand terminates in a reversely bent portion bringing the adhesivesurfaces together, thereby presenting a non-adhesive surface to thecarton.

References Cited in. the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,800,143 Hughes Apr. 7, 1931 2,338,041 King Dec. 28, 1943 2,340,651Denison Feb. 1, 1944 2,381,605 Leander Aug, 7, 1945 2,393,758 DowningIan. 29, 1946 2,400,406 Godoy May 14, 1946 2,572,641 Manley Oct. 23,1951 2,581,237 Casier Jan. l', 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 565,842 GreatBritain Nov. 30, 1944

